Governments or nations have existed almost since the beginning of time. If we go back to Genesis, chapter 4, we find Cain banished from the garden of Eden, who then went East to the land of Nod and there took a wife, and then he "builded a city." I think we can safely assume that wherever there is a city there has always been some sort of government.

From Daniel we learn of the four great governments of Babylon, Assyria, Medo-Persia, and Rome. All were great governments who conquered the then-known world. The citizens of these great nations were highly patriotic and thought that nothing could ever cause their governments to fail. In fact, the people lived and died in behalf of their states as the preservation of the state was the goal of society.

But, you know something, history teaches us a grim lesson, for none of these great nations survived, and Scripture describes the demise of nations as being placed in the grave.

For example, Ezekiel 32 takes place for the most part in the bottomless pit or the grave. In this chapter the prophet describes the fall of Egypt using the figure of a beast of prey, a dragon in the seas," who has been slain and left to be devoured by wild beasts.

In verses 7-10 the greatness of this fall is described as a darkening of the sun, moon, and stars which startles other nations. In verses 11-16 the prophet says this destruction will be accomplished by Babylon who will make the land desolate.

The remainder of the chapter tells of the completeness of this destruction and does so as if there was a bottomless pit awaiting him, "him" being Egypt.

In verses 17-18 the prophet tells of reserving a place for Egypt in the "nether parts of the earth," and describes this as a pit. The word "pit," of course, is a reference to the grave. And verses 19-20 describe the burial while verse 21 tells of the awakening of those who had preceded Egypt to the grave in the bottomless pit and seem to welcome him.

From verses 22 on, Egypt is introduced to those who have preceded him. He escorts Egypt through the pit and shows him the gloomy mansions of former tyrants, providing their names as he goes along, and also tells of their prior pomp and splendor, a time when they were a terror in the land.

The prophet also describes their current situation as an abject and helpless condition. They have all been cut off from the land of the living and have all gone "down to the pit," that is, the bottomless pit of death, because from there, there is no return.

Then in verses 31 and 32, The prophet tells Egypt that there is a place reserved for Egypt alongside those who have preceded him to the grave. Having given you an overview of this chapter I now going to read and comment upon just a few of these verses. So let's begin with Ezekiel 32:18-19:

"Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.

"Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised."

Here the prophet is told to cast down Egypt and let her join those who have gone before her. In verse 19 is found the perfect irony: "Whom dost thou pass in beauty?" Oh great and dying nations of the world, when you go into the catacombs of the dead and examine the corpses of nations which have preceded you, you will find that no one carcass is preferable over another carcass, and thus O great nation, when a nation dies it is no better off than any other dead nation.

The point being, a nation may have at one time been a majestic nation but now, in death, they all have their place in the bottomless pit.

Then with verse 22 begins the parade of the dead nations with one to follow -- Egypt, but we will move on to Ezekiel 32:24-30:

"Asshur [As-uhr] is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:

"Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

"There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

"They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.

"There is Meshech [Mee-shek], Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

"And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

"Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

"There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

"There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit."

Now to make this a little bit more interesting, I am going to paraphrase these verses in hopes making my point a bit more graphic. I will act as the guide, leading Egypt through the graves of the nations.

Oh mighty king of Egypt, look to your left, look over here in graves 22 and 23, "Ashur is there .. fallen by the sword .. whose graves are set aside in the sides of the pit;" In other words, Oh mighty one of Egypt they are dead and occupy their place in the bottomless pit of death.

And over here Oh mighty king, over here to your left just a little in grave 24: "There is Elam... they caused their terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with them that go down to the pit." In other words, Oh mighty one of Egypt, they are dead and occupy their place in the bottomless pit of death.

And right beside Elam, over here Oh mighty king, over here in graves 26, 27, and 28; "There is Meschek, Tubel, and all her multitude ... they have laid their swords under their heads." In other words, Oh mighty one of Egypt, they have all died and descended into the bottomless pit, "but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living."

And look, Oh mighty one of Egypt, look over there in grave 29, "There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes," they too, Oh mighty prince have been slain and have gone "down to the pit." Once again, listen to me as I warn you Oh mighty prince, I am trying to tell you that Edom to has fallen and is no more. Edom is dead and has taken its place in the tombs of the dead nations.

And now, Oh mighty one of Egypt, who boasts of splendor and glory, look over here, for right here, in graves 31 and 32, we have a special place in this bottomless pit, a place prepared especially for you.

O mighty king, I have shown you the bone yard of all your brethren tyrants and I want you to be comforted in knowing that in all your splendor and glory, like all those mighty nations who have preceded you, there is a special place reserved for you right beside your brethren in the bottomless pit of death. And your place there will be no better or worse then theirs. All are dead and have no splendor.

My version of these verses is probably more graphic and hopefully explains the longevity of all governments. And if we pause to think for a minute, we will remember that no government since the dawning of time has survived down through the ages. They have all fallen and entered their place in the bottomless pit.

In this parable, all these nations were represented by their kings, and their nations being overthrown is depicted by the king's body laid down in the pit -- the bottomless pit of death.

And so, the fall of Pharaoh once again represents the fall of another great world power before the sovereignty of God.

Today in this day and age we cling tenaciously to our government and we tolerate tyranny in the name of being patriotic to our nation. We all feel like this is the greatest nation in the world and we are proud of our nation. But the Egyptians were proud of their nation. The Babylonians were proud of their nation. The Assyrians were proud of their nation. The Grecians were proud of their nation. And, the Romans were proud of their nation. But all of these nations are now members of the bottomless pit and are no more.

The lesson of this should be obvious. There is no man-made nation in the world that can or will survive, and all will eventually be destroyed and take their place in the bottomless pit to make way for the kingdom of God.

Therefore my brethren, you should seek citizenship in the kingdom of God. You should look to Christ the Saviour for Luke 1:33 tells us that:

"... he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."